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Friday, May 31, 2013

I pinned a wonderful YouTube button tutorial and couldn't wait to try my hand at making tiny paper buttons. I thought it might be a time-waster--why not buy real buttons--but I fell in love with the process and the idea and the look! I made a whole bunch out of two of the new Stampin Up In Colors:

So fun and colorful and perfect to wrap twine around on tiny envelopes! I cut a whole bunch of little envelopes and decorated them with punched flowers.

What a great way to use scraps!

I took a pre-made card and cut it into three smaller cards that would fit inside:

And voila! Adorable little cards that are like a tiny gift in themselves:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The new Jane's Garden collection of stamps from Oxford Impressions celebrates the memory of times past, so universally loved in Jane Austen novels. The common technique in the cards that I made is the use of cutting. I stamped and then cut out the images, which I find very relaxing.

The flower on the following card uses the paper toile technique, which requires stamping an

image multiple times and then layering them with dimensional tape to give a 3D effect.

When working with detailed images, it's often easier to stamp in the same color,

like a toile print, rather than trying to color with markers or watercolor:

These kept me busy for most of my day off today. I would love to know if there is one that you prefer... Later this week I plan to post some simple tags and cards using just one or two images from this collection--quick and easy.

I have just grazed the surface of this wonderfully rich topic of the language of flowers, but I hope it has brought new knowledge to you as it has to me. On this Sunday, I wish you much grace and joy as you reflect on the beauty in flowers that God has put all around us!

If you were featured, please grab my button from the left sidebar and post on your blog.

Monday, May 20, 2013

I know, I know... You're probably thinking I'm crazy that I just can't quite figure out

what to do with Mason jars. I've pinned loads of cute ideas, but for the life of

me, I just haven't been able to make them work in my house.

Encouraged by my girlfriend, Jean, who has a small collection nicely displayed, I bought some
very reasonably when we were shopping during a trip to Indiana. Most of my jars are pretty old,
so I have hesitated to paint or glitter or change them in any way. But over the weekend
I got them out and displayed them in an area in my kitchen:
I had to have the Queen jar, as my hubby calls me "The Queen" or "Queenie."
And I love the one with the four-leaf clover that says "Good Luck." And the three in
the drawer are all Acme. (Always makes me think of the Roadrunner cartoon.
Weren't most of the coyote's explosives and traps from Acme? :-) I would
love to have candy in every jar, but all I had right then was spools and three-year old Halloween candy
that I've warned everyone not to eat. It's my decoration candy!

I did find this baseball bubble gum at Dollar Tree. My brother and I used to find it mixed in with colored gumballs in a machine at Jack's grocery, a little country store with oily wood floors that of course made your feet black in the summer--we went barefoot all summer in the South. Our shoes came off as soon as our mom answered yes to our eager "Is it time to go barefoot yet?" and didn't go on until we went back to school. I'll never forget the dusky, fruity smell of that old store, and my little black feet that had to be washed with the hose before my mom would let me back in the house!

The gumballs would be a nice addition to a shabby chic setting, lol:

I added a few special pieces to the display--butter crocks that were in our kitchen all through my childhood, a watercolored sunflower painted by my husband's great aunt and given to us as a wedding gift, and the scale which is a piece from our extended family. When I got

finished, I called my hubby in to look. His first response was,

"Wow, it looks like Dr. Conkey's."

Now I have to tell you, that was exactly the right response! Dr. Conkey's is a small store with old plank floors, vintage wood cases filled with all types of candy, a coffee bar, and wonderful decorations and trimmings. It is a heavenly place, and I since I've always wanted to

live in a gift shop (or a museum, really), I couldn't have thought of a better
decorating achievement with those Mason jars!

I think I will be displaying these Mason jars all through the summer!
Do you have any Mason jar or grocery store memories?

to create adorable flash cards that can be used on tables or made into cards.

A gifted writer, she also crafted a brilliant first person narrative full of childhood excitement and

wonder. I promise you will be transported to your sweetest childhood memories. And the icing on the cake is the downloadable version of some of the flash cards for all of us to use! Thank you Susan!

Lisa at Helene's Legacy took a vintage recipe from her great aunt and made it "friendly" for her family with food allergies by substituting coconut oil for butter. Once more, something old becomes new again:

Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful posts and blogs that really do illustrate
how everything old becomes new again.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Did you ever hear your Mom say, "I'm not running a hotel/restaurant here...?"

I think I've said it a few times myself.
Being a mom can sometimes seem like custom hotel and restaurant service with
all the laundry and cooking that is required to run a home and
make it comfortable for everyone. If you're a mom, I hope your lovely ones
have celebrated you with a day off from all the chores--
at least from the cooking. And perhaps they've taken you for a fine meal at a hotel.

To kick off this Vintage View Sunday, I am sharing a vignette in my kitchen that

I just put together this week with a few pieces from my hotel silver collection.

Hotel silver is heavily plated silver that was made for use in fine hotels.

Made to withstand repeated washing and rough use, its heavy chunkiness and

The creamer was made by International Silver Company for a Hilton Hotel:

The open sugar bowl was made by the Canadian subsidiary of Wm Rogers Silver Company
and was from the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

The salt and pepper cruet set was made by International Silver Co. for
the Margaret Baylor Inn. (I'd love to know where that was...)

My vintage view gives me a lot of pleasure on this Mother's Day Sunday:

This post is written in honor of my mother, Anita, who taught me to appreciate antiques from the time I was six. She is home with the Lord. And it is also written to honor my other mother, Katie, who also is my husband's mother. She is 90, and has the best outlook on life of anyone I've ever known.
My life has been enriched by the love and care of these two dedicated mothers.

And now, on to the Vintage View Sunday Party with this week's features! Please feel free to grab my button and display it on your blog if you've been featured.

Going along with the kitchen theme, I love Debbie's vintage kitchen tools and accessories
in bright happy red. Go visit her at Debblie Dabble and see how she has a knack for
pulling together so many interesting pieces!

You certainly see a grandmother's love in this precious baby quilt shared by Jann atA Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen. Visit her blog for a virtual hug from a very sweet lady!

And Christina at PennyWise shared a wonderful vintage photo of children dancing around a Maypole in 1909 Ireland along with a very interesting history of May Day and
a wonderful tea to celebrate May Day or Mother's Day or any day!

Kitchens and food and blankets and pretty things...
All part of a mother's care for her brood.

Wishing you a day that's very lovely from start to finish.

Vintage View Link Party #3
Feel free to link any vintage post, old or new. Please become a follower of my blog and
put a link back to my blog on your blog. I look forward to seeing your vintage view!

From time to time I get a bee in my bonnet, and I just have to make a new piece of jewelry.

I had these pieces just waiting in my treasure box:

I took a little inspiration from this book, Rejuvenated Jewels,

New Designs from Vintage Treasures, by Amy Hanna:

I had a few false starts, including this charm style necklace with crowns and

a vintage rhinestone watch piece. I wore it once, and it just didn't feel quite right.

So I remade it, and yes, it felt very, very right:

I wire wrapped sterling beads with sterling wire and linked them with some sterling and

marcasite pieces that I salvaged from an old necklace. I glued a garnet piece to a mother-of-pearl-button, and glued that onto the rhinestone buckle. I wire wrapped a pearl and attached it to a vintage rhinestone piece that got attached to the buckle. I also added a sterling toggle to the buckle to

Yes, she has a name. I had a hard time choosing between so many wonderful suggestions, Sephora, Rosalie, Lacey... Everyone seemed to agree that a French name suited her best.
And guess who had the winning name?
My dear husband!
When he suggested, "Cosette," (from Les Miserables), how could I refuse?
Any man who indulges such girlish silliness in his wife of almost thirty years
deserves to be heard. :-)
Yep, he's a keeper.

So there you have it.

And I have another little group of goodies just waiting for a new idea!